Implants

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Implants are a major advance in dental technology and have become the healthiest, most conservative form of tooth replacement we have today. Implants replace single or multiple missing teeth and have a very high success rate when executed properly. An implant is essentially a screw that is precisely placed into your jaw bone to replace your root structure and provide a foundation for your replacement tooth. Typically, the process for a dental implant is as follows:

• A tooth that requires replacement is removed surgically and a bone graft is placed where the natural tooth structure remains to ensure there is the necessary amount of bone to support the implant to be placed.
• After the bone graft has healed and become your own, native bone, an implant can be placed into the area where the tooth was lost.
• The implant then needs to heal for 3-6 months to ensure osseointegration (the term for a healed implant) has happened and the implant is stable enough to support a tooth
• An impression is taken of the implant and a tooth or teeth are fabricated by a lab to be connected to the implant
• The tooth is then attached to the implant, and you are whole again!

While implants can seem like a long process, when considered over your lifetime it is a worthwhile time investment for many reasons, most importantly you will have a full set of teeth to chew with. Dr. Andrew Sloan has taken over 300 continuing education hours specifically in implant dentistry as well as completing a residency which gave him a much higher level of understanding than you would get from dental school alone. 

While Dr. Andrew Sloan does place implants, there are certain situations where he may want to involve a specialist for placement of the implant or implants to ensure the best outcome for the patient, however you can feel confident that the final tooth or teeth will be restored to the highest standard.